


Darkness Binding

by NympheSama



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Cross species lusting?, Curiosity, Dark Fantasy, Dark Rhys, Eventual Smut, Injury, Is it cannibalism if Rhys is a Mer?, Jack being Jack, Jack likes to watch Rhys kill/eat, M/M, Mer-fic, Murder, Partial Slow Burn, Possessive Behavior, Possible mating rituals, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:34:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: Rhys is a Mer, captured by Handsome Jack to be his own personal murder pet.A dark bond forms between the pair; a bond of blood, death... and just maybe, something more.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 77





	Darkness Binding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatNeedyZombie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatNeedyZombie/gifts).



> I've been working on this awhile and really enjoyed it
> 
> But I honestly dont know if I will continue as planned to now  
> The idea was to make this a glorious, dark tail (ha, get it?) but yeah. Frankly, idk if I can do it justice anyway 
> 
> Thanks to my beta, Lemscape, without them - this (and everything else) would probably never get finished
> 
> So I'm sorry if this is crappy  
> I hope you can enjoy it at least and uh, idk  
> Just sorry  
> See ya
> 
> x my love to you all x

**Darkness Binding.**

Rhys felt panic claw at him, twisting its jagged nails deep into his heart as he hovered on the brink of indecision; staring at the armed brute racing toward him, in what seemed like slow motion.

He gasped, his eyes widening as his arm flailed desperately before him. None of the options before him weren't exactly great at this point.

Before him; a vicious and hateful brute, snarling and screaming as they charged at him. Memories of pain flashed through Rhys' mind; a lifetime or torment and bullying, all for being different, for having questions… and the audacity to say _no._

A refusal, which had ultimately cost him an arm... to the very _brute_ who was currently charging toward him, intent on ending Rhys' life with the spear which they wielded.

On the other hand, behind him was… uncertainty. Danger, possibly death awaiting him still. The net was closing in on him, slowly approaching; but far too slowly to reach him before Hugo and his very large, very sharp spear.

Rhys' throat all but closed, choking back a scream as seconds passed him by, drawing him closer to his own demise as he hesitated, trapped by his own fears and memories.

It was as Hugo released a bloodcurdling scream of rage and anticipated victory, that Rhys finally broke free of his frozen state.

With a flick of his tail, Rhys flipped himself over and swam toward the encroaching net, closing his eyes as it encompassed him and folded back on itself; quickly jerking him up through the ocean to the surface… and whatever mystery lay beyond.

Time passed in a blur above the water. Rhys was barely aware of anything, his breathing laboured and his heart racing erratically as he squirmed and thrashed; only to be held still by strange, dry hands.

The next thing Rhys was consciously aware of; was a loud splash and bubbles all around him, as he flailed with his one arm and twisted through salty, but strangely clear water. After several tense seconds of panic, Rhys flicked his tail and righted himself; regaining his natural equilibrium beneath the surface and waiting for the bubbles around him to subside.

"Ain't it a _pretty_ 'lil thing, huh Angel, baby?" Rhys turned his head at the sound of a voice, distorted in an unfamiliar way. He frowned, sensing nothing in the water around him that could have spoken. "Oh yeah, this is… this is gonna be _fan-friggin-tastic_!"

Rhys turned himself around slowly, his fingers dragging carefully through the water as he peered around himself curiously. There was something pure about the water he found himself floating in, something clean; compared to the wide ocean. His gills appreciated whatever the difference in the water was. They flit happily on both sides of his neck, sucking in great gulps of clean air; all for him.

Once he was over the marvel of the strange, purer water; he became aware that there was also a strange sound. A constant droning sound, coming from somewhere unseen, above and behind him. He would look into that later though.

Now, he wanted to see who had spoken.

"Daddy…" a small voice spoke, a slight tremor in their awed, concerned tone. "Are you sure it can't get out..? They… they _eat people_ …"

Rhys blinked slowly, narrowing his eyes as he swam forward; his hand rising toward a strange barrier in the water, separating him from two strange creatures… who appeared to be staring at him. He cocked his head curiously, scenting the water as he lifted his eyes to follow his hand across the strange, smooth barrier; the soft, tiny suckers on the pads of his fingers sticking gently.

"Don't worry, Angel baby…" the taller of the two said, stepping around the small one, though the small one clutched at the taller creature's leg. "This _sweet_ 'lil piece of _tail_ is going to make me… _unstoppable."_ They gloated, as Rhys examined them curiously.

 _Humans_.

The realisation hit him abruptly, so much so that he snickered with amusement, his teeth flashing; startling him as they reflected softly back at him on the strange barrier between himself and his captors.

"Heh, somethin' funny there, Cupcake?" Rhys wasn't entirely certain what the words meant, but the humans face seemed to be amused as they strolled up to the barrier between them fearlessly. "Ya know, I've tried a whole bunch of times to catch one of your kind, but _damn_ they're fast. Always swim away before I can get my nets anywhere near 'em… but _you_ ," the human stopped before Rhys, peering up at him with a calculating look as Rhys sniffed at the barrier between them, frowning when he caught no hint of the humans scent in the water. " _You_ take the cake for the _dumbest_ goddamn fish out there… _you_ swam straight _into_ my net!"

Rhys wrinkled his nose, turning his head away from the human as they bragged and gloated, laughing at Rhys' apparent stupidity.

Rhys didn't care what some human thought of him. At least _here_ , he was _safe_.

Rhys flicked his tail, gliding effortlessly through the water and moving slowly along the edge of his new home, his clawed fingers trailing along the barrier as he explored curiously. It was surprisingly spacious, more than large enough for him to have plenty of room to swim around in. He chuffed quietly in his throat, deeming the area acceptable, although, it wasn't really like he had any other options.

"What's it doing, Daddy?" The small voice warbled to him through the water. Rhys turned his head, hovering in the water for a moment, before twitching his tail and darting back over to the barrier between himself and the humans. " _Ah_!"

Rhys snickered at the small humans' startled cry, smirking at the taller human as he floated almost innocently before them, his hand pressed curiously against the strange barrier, as he cocked his head and examined them again.

"Don't worry, Angel baby… it-" the taller human paused, a slow grin spreading on its face as it ran its eyes over Rhys appreciatively. Rhys puffed out his chest and fanned out the end of his tail, proudly displaying the dark red scales and smirking smugly, knowing they shimmered and flickered attractively within the water. " _He_ is just exploring his new home, babygirl. See? He's following the glass around; and seeing how big of a tank he has to move around in." They explained, their eyes sharp and calculating, as they moved over Rhys.

 _Glass_.

So, the barrier was _glass_ ; and that _glass_ made a _tank_ . Rhys looked down, curious now how deep he could swim. He allowed himself to drop down to the bottom of his new home, his hand dropping from the _glass_ … he smiled as he remembered the word the human had used, to gather a small handful of brightly coloured stones. Rhys frowned, scenting the stones curiously, before tipping his hand to the side and watching the tiny pebbles fall slowly through the water, waiting until the last one had dropped back to the bed of his _tank._ Rhys wrinkled his nose and flashed his teeth in a grin. He was learning so many new words already.

Rhys lifted his head and looked straight up above him, noticing the faint shimmer of the water's surface. With a flick of his tail, he shot upward, three more quick flicks propelling him swiftly to break through the surface.

Rhys gasped as he peered around above the water's surface, his eyes moving rapidly as he tried to absorb as many sights, sounds and smells as he possibly could. It was all so very overwhelming.

"Hey, Princess…" the human's voice called to him. Rhys turned, cutting through the water swiftly to grip the edge of the _glass_ _tank_ and peering down at them, as they slowly walked up a set of blocks, ascending in a spiral at the far side of the _tank_. "Like it? Designed it myself…"

Rhys sniffed in the humans direction, chuffing quietly as his gills twitched. He released the edge of the… of _his_ _tank_ ; and flicked his tail, diving beneath the water and resurfacing at the nearest edge to the spiral; though he noticed, it was quite strategically placed just far enough from his tank, that he wouldn't be able to reach anyone on it.

"What's up, Pumpkin?" The human asked, laughing as they leaned a hand on either railing beside them, crossing their legs as they stood at the top of the staircase. "Hungry?"

Rhys tipped his chin toward the human tentatively, scenting the air curiously as he examined them. A male, he realised. " _Chhhhiiirrrr?_ " He purred softly, blinking slowly as the human chuckled.

"I got a little somethin' ready for ya, don't worry…" the human said, grinning at Rhys and running his eyes over the Mer's long body and iridescent tail smugly. "But uh, gotta wait until my little girl there isn't around. Be bad parenting to have you, ya know, _eating people_ in front of her. Might give her nightmares… can't have that." 

Rhys cocked his head, leaning forward over the edge of the _glass_ to peer down at the smaller human thoughtfully. _Little girl_ , the taller one had called her. He looked back up at the talkative human, his brows furrowing gently. " _Giiiirrr..?_ " He purred, raising his brows questioningly.

The human huffed and hung his head briefly, before glancing up at Rhys again, licking his lips slowly. "Girl, yeah… _my_ little baby girl. You ever even _try_ to take a bite outta her, and I'll serve you up for sushi, got it?" He said, pausing as he tipped his head back and ran narrowed eyes over Rhys again, his gaze calculating. "Names Jack, Kiddo… _Handsome_ Jack. And _you_ just became the most interesting thing I bought, since that diamond pony…"

Rhys wrinkled his nose and looked back to the _little girl_ , cocking his head when he saw her peering up at him fearfully. "Hey, _hey,_ Cupcake…" Rhys looked back up at the human which called itself Jack, frowning at the interruption of his curious examination. "I meant it, you ever even _think_ of hurting Angel… and I'll haul you outta there and carve your scaley ass up myself. Comprende?"

Rhys sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned around, ignoring the human; _Jack_ , as he swam over to a long black tube in the back of the tank. The strange noise was stronger, whirring loudly as he sniffed at and examined it curiously, slowly dragging his hand over the sleek black material and yelping at the heavy vibrations he felt from it.

"C'mon, Dum-Dum; that's just the filters and the pump, yeah?" Jack called, snorting at Rhys' curiosity. "'S what makes it nice and clean for ya, yeah? Thought you might appreciate that…"

Rhys purred quietly, smiling at the vibrations of the _filter and pump_ for a long pause, before turning and diving beneath the surface, twisting through the clear water gleefully, as he raced around the _tank_ perimeter and surfaced near to the tall human; to _Jack_.

" _Chhhhiirrr, chff chff chiiirrr_!" He puffed excitedly, as Jack snorted and raised an amused eyebrow.

"Uh huh, yeah I know, I'm a freakin' genius." Jack chuckled, grinning at Rhys and cocking their head, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "Can you actually understand me, Cupcake? Huh? Any point in me actually talking to you? Or is this gonna be it for your communication skills?"

Rhys wrinkled his nose, his gills flapping in frustration as he pouted at the human. He nodded his head carefully, hoping Jack understood the gesture at least.

"Okay," the human hummed, standing straight and dragging his hand over his mouth and chin slowly. "Well, I feel like we made some progress here today. Really got the groundwork laid for a… a mutually beneficial business relationship."

Rhys cocked his head, frowning in confusion. _Business?_ Humans had some very strange words. He wondered what _business_ even meant, but he had a feeling he would soon learn. Jack seemed to like the sound of his own voice, so Rhys figured he would learn plenty, soon enough; whether he wanted to or not.

"Angel," Jack called, turning and trotting down the spiral of blocks he'd climbed. "Baby, I think TimTam's needs your help in the kitchen… I'm in the mood for cookies and champagne! And you know you make _way_ better cookies than your uncle." He said as he reached the bottom, bending down before the _little girl_.

Rhys curled over and dove into the water slowly, his tail flicking at the surface air briefly, as he sank lower to watch the _little girl_ smile brightly. "Can I have some champagne with _my_ cookies, Daddy?" She asked hopefully.

"Ha ha," Jack laughed, patting the _little girl_ on the head fondly. "Not on your life, Kiddo. _Buuuuut_ , Uncle Tim will give you some eridium milk."

The little girl, _Angel_ , Rhys recalled; giggled and kissed Jack's cheek, throwing her arms around his neck tightly, before turning and running out two, large rectangular blocks across from Rhys' _tank_.

As soon as she had disappeared, Jack moved to the large blocks and pushed them together, turning something in the middle of them as Rhys watched with fascination; the suckers at his fingertips sticking gently to the glass. "Now," Jack chuckled, turning to smirk over his shoulder.

Rhys shivered at the dark look which the human examined him with, slowly stalking closer to his _tank_ . "I bet… you're feeling, pretty damn _hungry_ , huh?" Jack asked, bracing his forearm on the _glass_ and grinning at Rhys in a way which made the Mer squirm; not with discomfort, but with something… warm and pleasant, tingling low in his belly.

Rhys nodded and chuffed quietly, bubbles rising from his parted lips as he trailed a clawed finger across Jack's large forearm where it pressed against the _glass._

Jack narrowed his eyes, following the curious movement with his eyes, before flashing a wide grin. "Well, you're gonna be getting some prime ass rib for free, Pumpkin... if you know what I'm talking about." He laughed, raising a brow at Rhys expectantly. "D'you know what I'm talking about?" He pressed, as Rhys cocked his head to the side and blinked slowly, his claw tips lingering on the glass over Jack's arm.

"C'mon, Cupcake… tell me ya know what I'm talkin' about." Jack snickered, leaning closer and smirking in a lewd manner, licking his lip before sucking it between his teeth. "You know what I'm talkin' about..?" He whispered seductively, tipping his chin toward the Mer curiously.

Rhys frowned, trying to think of some connection he was missing. Ribs were not his favourite, too chewy for his tastes and while many of his kind enjoyed gnawing on bones, he himself felt rather impartial to it; favouring thighs and other, softer meats. Finally he gave up, shaking his head infinitesimally.

" _Dicks!_ " Jack exclaimed loudly, startling Rhys and causing him to flick his tail in agitation, jerking himself away from the _glass_ where Jack stood peering at him in obvious frustration, his hands curled into clawed balls. "I'm talking about _dicks,_ you dumb… _fish,_ urgh... godammit!"

Rhys narrowed his eyes, coiling his tail beneath himself defensively as he hissed at Jack, exuding a large stream of bubbles from his lips.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo… sometimes, I just forget how, _overwhelming_ it can be, having Handsome Jack right in front of you; and showing interest in your... _pathetic_ little life, at that." Jack sighed, brushing his hands over his chest as he half turned away from Rhys' _tank,_ peeking at him sideways with a raised brow. "You're kinda skittish, huh?" He mused distractedly, only half paying attention to Rhys as he watched three other humans walk toward him. "That got somethin' to do with you only having one arm, Princess?"

Rhys scowled at Jack's apparent disinterest in him, as two of the new humans pushed the third to the floor. He reluctantly swam closer to the _glass_ , watching Jack circle the human on the floor slowly. He reminded Rhys of a shark, circling its prey.

"Well, well… if it isn't my _dear_ , old boss," Jack chuckled, his slightly distorted voice warbling faintly. _"Harold Tassiter_ , ya know what? It is good to-" Jack paused, tilting his head back and stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Well, actually no, that would be a huge ass lie. You're a goddamn asshole; and it would never be good to see you… but, I _will_ enjoy, watching you die; at the hands of my new… _friend,_ here." He concluded gesturing toward Rhys' _tank_.

Rhys blinked slowly, his brow furrowed slightly at Jack's confusing speech. Was this the promised _prime rib_ ? Rhys eyed the human on the floor dubiously, thinking it was probably a little more than _past_ its _prime_.

"J-John?" The one Jack called _Harold Tassiter_ gasped, the human's face turning a ruddy, purplish colour. Rhys chuffed thoughtfully as he swam slowly alone the length of the _glass_ , reconsidering that perhaps the human wouldn't taste so bad after all; it seemed to still have a decent blood flow. "Just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing? Release me now, how _dare_ you-"

"Ha ha, how _dare_ I?" Jack repeated, laughing wildly at the human on the floor, even wiping at his eyes, as Rhys slowly turned and swam back along the _glass_. "Oh, _oh_ , that is just so precious, _ha_!" Jack continued to laugh, stopping in front of the human called _Harold_ _Tassiter_ and lowering himself before them. "Well, see, it's _real_ easy… 'cause I'm just that _awesome._ See, I just, snap my fingers; like this?" He said, rising and stepping aside as he clicked his fingers as promised. "And _these guys_ are now gonna walk you up my pretty little staircase there; and give you a little swimming lesson!"

Rhys flicked his tail, as the one Jack called _Harold_ began struggling, slowly rising through the water until he broke the surface. He watched with fascination as _Harold_ was dragged by the other two humans, up what Jack had called the _staircase._ He licked his lips, scenting the air as his gills fluttered with excitement, his tail curling back and forth in the water slowly; waiting patiently.

Jack laughed as the human he'd called _Harold_ screamed, straining furiously against the hold of the two humans dragging them up the _staircase._ "John! You can't _do_ this to me! People will know! People will come to you; looking for me, _John_!"

"And... when they do, I will have them _also_ take a little swim with my new friend here." Jack replied smugly, his loud voice carrying up to Rhys easily as he sauntered over to the _glass_ and looked up at the top of the _staircase_ expectantly.

Rhys raised a brow, curious about what a _friend_ might be, but his attention quickly returned to the human; squirming frantically as the _staircase_ made a strange sound and slowly inched closer to Rhys' _tank._

 _"_ John! You won't get away with this! _John!"_ The one called _Harold_ yelled, just as the other humans pushed them off the edge of the _staircase_ into the water. 

Jack laughed at the loud splash _Harold_ made as they crashed into the water, the _staircase_ already moving away from the _tank_ with the other humans already descending the spiral. "Oh… Tassiter, you balding, impotent old bag of bones…" he laughed, gasping for breath as he watched the human struggle in the water above him. "I already _have_."

Rhys licked his lips, drifting to the far side of his _tank,_ his tail swaying gently through the water beneath him as he allowed himself to slowly sink beneath the surface. As he sank, Rhys felt his scales pull tight; talons of bone erupting slowly from the tips of his tail and along his spine, as his claws extended and sharpened. He closed his eyes, shuddering as his second set of teeth lowered before the first; sharp fangs, most suitable for the tearing of flesh.

As Rhys reopened his eyes, his lips curled into a sneer. With a flick of his tail, Rhys dove forward and dug the sharp ends of his claws into the strange, hard cover over the end of the humans foot, dragging the gasping and spluttering human down to the bottom of his _tank_ and burying said foot beneath the colourful stones.

"Heh, well, well…" Rhys turned his head at the sound of Jack's soft, distorted voice; to find the human watching the Mer with rapt fascination. "Aren't _you_ just a beautiful way to get away with murder?"

Rhys hissed and flashed his sharp, pointed teeth; narrowing his eyes as he flicked his tail and sped around the slowly drowning human in the middle of his _tank_. Once out of Jack's sight, Rhys flicked his tail the opposite way, darting up behind the human and dragging his claws down their side.

The human screamed, the sound muffled by the water which invaded their throat. Rhys' gills flickered with excitement, scenting the human’s blood as it seeped into the water. He smiled, intent on his prey as he circled them slowly, showing off the various ways with which his body was naturally designed to kill them. He traced a claw over the humans throat as he passed before them, grinning to show off his secondary set of teeth; sharp, pointed and more than ready to tear into the human at any second. 

The humans eyes bulged, turning bloodshot as their face turned a ruddy purple with the effort of holding their breath for so long. Rhys snickered, circling faster and biting the humans shoulder as he passed by and flashing the drowning, screaming human; a toothy, bloodstained smirk.

"Oh, ho ho _ho_ !" Jack's voice distracted Rhys, the human grinning as he leaned his forearm against the _glass_ . " _Yeah,_ baby! _That's_ what I'm talkin' about!" He cheered, as Rhys frowned at him, frustrated by the interruption.

" _Rhhhiiissh-shaiii!_ " He scolded, narrowing his eyes in warning. Were all humans so rude that they interrupted one another while they ate? _"Hasssheraaan!_ " He hissed, leering at Jack contemptuously.

"Heh," Jack chuckled, licking his lips as he braced his forehead against his arm on the _glass_. "Alright, alright… I can take a hint," he said. "I'll keep quiet; just don't hold back on my account, okay?"

Rhys cocked his head, curious about Jack's obvious invested interest in him killing the nearly drowned human, _Harold._ He hummed thoughtfully, slowly swimming along the _glass_ before Jack; watching as Jack's eyes traced over his newly revealed claws and spines. The human seemed impressed by the Mer’s all the more dangerous appearance. Rhys preened under Jack's intent examination, smirking at the human as his scales glittered an ominous, bloody red with the slow wave of his tail.

" _Hya-ka ra!_ " Rhys snickered, twisting as he gave a single rough flick of his tail and cut rapidly through the water, rising behind the mostly drowned human and digging his claws into the human's shoulder as he curled around him, raising his tail before _Harold_ as he locked his eyes onto Jack's; noticing for the first time that they did not match. 

One green, one blue. Like the crystals in the deepest trenches; down at the bottom of the ocean.

He hesitated for only a heartbeat, watching Jack's pulse jump in his neck; before twisting his tail toward himself and driving it forward abruptly; piercing the human with the spikes of bone which protruded from the ends of his tail fins.

 _Harold_ gave a small, muffled scream, too weakened by the water already weighing heavy in his lungs; before he hung limp in the water, which slowly stained with thin trails of red. " _Aiiieshh_..." Rhys leered quietly, his dark red tail shimmering as he yanked the sharp, bone talons from the humans chest; and curled tightly around them, crushing them within his coils.

" _Ooooh_ -ho, ho _, baby_ …" Jack pressed his forehead to the _glass_ , his mismatched eyes bright and focused upon Rhys; as he slowly released the deceased human, his tail twisting slowly as he arched over the humans shoulder and turned, biting off a finger as he passed. "All that ego just _oozing_ outta bite wounds… I don't think I've ever seen anything so goddamn sexy."

Rhys had no idea what _sexy_ meant, but the warmth in his belly made his tail quiver and his gills tremble. 

To have had his kill not only witnessed by another, but _enjoyed_ … it was extremely strange; in an odd, unexpectedly _pleasing_ way.

Rhys swayed slowly through the water, rising to; and breaching the surface with barely a ripple, as he blinked slowly. His fingers crept from the water, tiny suction pads at his fingertips clutching at the _glass_ edge, as he hauled himself upward and leaned over to peer down at Jack intently; watching the human move quickly to the base of the twirling _staircase._ " _Haa-sssheeees…"_ he hissed, purring quietly in his throat as his gills flickered, before spitting out the finger in his mouth; licking the blood from his sharp, secondary row of teeth, as he lowered himself back to the surface of the water and released the edge of the _tank._

Rhys drifted to the middle of the open water, his eyes on Jack as the human lowered himself to the floor, his dark red tail flickering like blood against a dark night sky; weaving gently through the water as it kept him afloat. He watched as Jack rose, walking up the _staircase_ slowly and twirling something in his fingers, his lips pulled into a lopsided grin as he rose to the top and slowly lifted his eyes to Rhys.

"You got a name, Cupcake?" Jack asked lowly, his voice thick and tempered by something Rhys didn't understand; something which made his belly warm and his hidden pouch throb from within. "Or am I just gonna have to call you the sexiest freakin' murder machine, known to mankind?"

Rhys blinked slowly, licking the blood from the tips of his sharp teeth; before inching forward. " _Rhhhyyyyyyysss_ …"

"Reese?" Jack's brow furrowed, his head cocked curiously as Rhys hissed and flashed his sharp fangs at him.

The Mer swam to the edge of the _tank_ , narrowing his eyes as he gripped the edge of the thick _glass_ with his soft, suction tipped fingertips and lifted his torso from the water; leering over at Jack with a dark purr. " _Rhyyyysss..!_ " He repeated, trying hard to capture the right sounds for the human to reproduce in his odd language.

Jack examined him a long moment, seeming to study each speck of water which dripped from the tip of Rhys' hair, chin or nose. "Rhys?" Jack repeated quietly, as Rhys sighed and nodded with relief, allowing himself to slowly slide back into the water. "Rhys…" Jack repeated, seeming to taste the Mer's name, as he broke out in a wide grin. "Alright, _Rhys_ … is this a uh, little souvenir?" He asked, his eyes glittering darkly as he held up the finger Rhys had spat at his feet; sliding it free of a large, ostentatious object made of a metallic substance.

"Rhys?" Jack called sharply, watching as Rhys looked back at the human, rather than the object he held. "Did you give me this ring as a _souvenir_?"

Rhys wrinkled his nose, struggling to understand the humans' question. " _Haa-sssheeees…_ " Rhys tipped his nose toward the _ring_ which Jack now held, allowing himself to nod slowly; hoping he'd chosen the right gestures to convey his gift.

Jack watched him a moment longer, before his lips curled into a wicked grin. "You and me, Kiddo…" he said, his finger flicking between Rhys and himself. "We're gonna work _so_ well together. You're... all of _that_ ," he chuckled, gesturing to Rhys' sharp claws, fangs and spears of bone. "Plus my brain? Heh, Princess... we're gonna change the freakin' _universe_." 

Rhys cocked his head curiously, blinking slowly as he examined the human, who seemed pleased with the gift he'd offered him. He grinned, purring low in his throat as he watched Jack begin to laugh quietly.

"It's gonna be _so_ good…" Jack said, shaking his head as he eyed Rhys gleefully. "There's gonna be _screaming_ , people are gonna _die_ ; left and right…" he laughed, as Rhys purred louder, pleased by the outcome of his choice to be captured. "I can't _wait_!" 

Jack laughed as he looked at Rhys, his eyes wide and bright, gleeful as Rhys chuffed smugly and flashed a wide and bloody, sharp toothed grin at the human. 

Something, some unspoken understanding, a kinship; had formed between them, of this the Mer was sure. He sensed that Jack had plans for the future, plans which involved Rhys; and he was more than happy to comply with whatever role the human had in mind, especially as it seemed to be of a murderous nature.

Killing came very naturally to a Mer.

Jack's laughter was somewhat muted but still distantly audible as Rhys snickered and sank under the surface of the water, a pleasant background music, as he slowly dove down to the bottom of his _tank_ to return to his meal.


End file.
